It's been over 10 years since I read the book and watched the movie, but from what I remember, this is one of my favorite book adaptations of all time. It manages to perfectly capture the spirit of the novel, aside from the changes necessary to adapt it to another medium, which is pretty remarkable given that Flannery O'Connor was a devout Catholic and John Huston reportedly set out to make a deliberately anti-religious adaptation. I can't think of a more faithful film adaptation of a book. It's an odd book in that on the surface, it'd be easy to mistake it for the work of someone vehemently against Christianity, but when you look at it deeper, it's very much the opposite. One of those books that make you work and wrestle with the ideas instead of just straight up telling you what it's trying to say, and is all the more rewarding for it. You're right in that the characters aren't the most likeable, but in some ways, that gives some distance by which to judge them more critically. Well worth a read, it's one that's really stuck with me for all these years.
Couldn’t disagree with you more about this film. I haven’t read the book, but it seems to me that you went searching for something that this film was never going to give you. I recently shared the film with a friend who absolutely despised all of the characters. Similarly, it seems you find them all to be lacking. Personally, I love and adore each and every one. They are all fascinating, from the young prostitute or either of the two drivers to the lead. I think the film is extremely compelling and I have watched this film at least 6 or 7 times. It moves me every time. I think there’s a purity to this film’s duality that makes it extremely freeing and realistic, despite the somewhat theatricality of the characters involved. I also feel that The Night of the Hunter shares a similar purity and lack of judgement. The religious ideas in that film lead to both wholesome goodness and evil. Another reason why I absolutely treasure this film is the glimpse into a world very rarely accessed in film- a small, dusty southern town, again, depicted very realistically and without smoothing or gloss. Wasn’t it Enoch who talked about having wise blood? I saw the film only about a week ago and remember the scene in which Enoch mentions that. Anyway, I keep meaning to read the Flannery O’Conner book.
convoluted, not compelling, and not very accessible ... you make a very good argument for watching Paper Moon again! a movie which is linear, compelling from first to last, and endearingly accessible. It's one of those movies that makes you nostalgic for a time that never really was. Surely the Depression was never that comically sweet. The most surprising part of your review to me was that there is a character named Hazel - I thought only Cannery Row had such a man! I have not read the novel Wise Blood either, but I know it was stitched together from independently published short stories so maybe there is no inherent through line (just guessing). I also know a piece of furniture Southerners call a chiffarobe plays a supporting role. If you ever wonder if you are reading a piece of Southern literature vs Northern, do a quick word search on the word 'chiffarobe' ... if the hit count is more than zero, you are reading a Southern novel. If the hit count is more than five, you are reading a Southern Gothic novel. If the hit count is more than fifteen, it's time to put that book down and pop Paper Moon into the old DVD player
ha well there is at least one chiffarobe in this movie although sadly it is not addressed by name. i might be having some second thoughts about doing this John Huston series. fortunately the next Huston movie coming to the channel is actually pretty good.
@@TobinFitzthum Should give it a re-watch it was both Michael Caine's favourite film he ever did and Sean Connery's favourite film he ever did and got great reviews from critics at the time, deservedly so because it's brilliant.
It's been over 10 years since I read the book and watched the movie, but from what I remember, this is one of my favorite book adaptations of all time. It manages to perfectly capture the spirit of the novel, aside from the changes necessary to adapt it to another medium, which is pretty remarkable given that Flannery O'Connor was a devout Catholic and John Huston reportedly set out to make a deliberately anti-religious adaptation. I can't think of a more faithful film adaptation of a book.
It's an odd book in that on the surface, it'd be easy to mistake it for the work of someone vehemently against Christianity, but when you look at it deeper, it's very much the opposite. One of those books that make you work and wrestle with the ideas instead of just straight up telling you what it's trying to say, and is all the more rewarding for it. You're right in that the characters aren't the most likeable, but in some ways, that gives some distance by which to judge them more critically. Well worth a read, it's one that's really stuck with me for all these years.
Couldn’t disagree with you more about this film. I haven’t read the book, but it seems to me that you went searching for something that this film was never going to give you. I recently shared the film with a friend who absolutely despised all of the characters. Similarly, it seems you find them all to be lacking. Personally, I love and adore each and every one. They are all fascinating, from the young prostitute or either of the two drivers to the lead. I think the film is extremely compelling and I have watched this film at least 6 or 7 times. It moves me every time. I think there’s a purity to this film’s duality that makes it extremely freeing and realistic, despite the somewhat theatricality of the characters involved. I also feel that The Night of the Hunter shares a similar purity and lack of judgement. The religious ideas in that film lead to both wholesome goodness and evil. Another reason why I absolutely treasure this film is the glimpse into a world very rarely accessed in film- a small, dusty southern town, again, depicted very realistically and without smoothing or gloss. Wasn’t it Enoch who talked about having wise blood? I saw the film only about a week ago and remember the scene in which Enoch mentions that. Anyway, I keep meaning to read the Flannery O’Conner book.
convoluted, not compelling, and not very accessible ... you make a very good argument for watching Paper Moon again! a movie which is linear, compelling from first to last, and endearingly accessible. It's one of those movies that makes you nostalgic for a time that never really was. Surely the Depression was never that comically sweet.
The most surprising part of your review to me was that there is a character named Hazel - I thought only Cannery Row had such a man!
I have not read the novel Wise Blood either, but I know it was stitched together from independently published short stories so maybe there is no inherent through line (just guessing).
I also know a piece of furniture Southerners call a chiffarobe plays a supporting role. If you ever wonder if you are reading a piece of Southern literature vs Northern, do a quick word search on the word 'chiffarobe' ... if the hit count is more than zero, you are reading a Southern novel. If the hit count is more than five, you are reading a Southern Gothic novel. If the hit count is more than fifteen, it's time to put that book down and pop Paper Moon into the old DVD player
ha well there is at least one chiffarobe in this movie although sadly it is not addressed by name.
i might be having some second thoughts about doing this John Huston series. fortunately the next Huston movie coming to the channel is actually pretty good.
@@TobinFitzthum If you haven't seen The Man Who Would Be King, it is a great film.
@@Mr.Goodkat I have seen that. I don't really remember what I thought about it though. An interesting cast and setting to be sure.
@@TobinFitzthum Should give it a re-watch it was both Michael Caine's favourite film he ever did and Sean Connery's favourite film he ever did and got great reviews from critics at the time, deservedly so because it's brilliant.
Paper Moon is one of my all time faves